The highly anticipated domestic clash between Dalton Smith and Adam Azim seems increasingly improbable for later this year, as Matchroom Boxing`s Eddie Hearn suggests the fight is unlikely to happen soon.
Hearn noted that a fight between the two has been discussed for the past three years and remains a significant point of debate among boxing enthusiasts.
Despite ongoing discussions within the boxing community about which super-lightweight holds the advantage, a resolution appears no closer.
Instead, the mandatory challenger, Smith (18-0, 13 KOs), is expected to wait for the outcome of the WBC world title fight between current champion Alberto Puello and dangerous contender Subriel Matias.
This crucial world title bout is scheduled for July 12th as part of a New York event featuring Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda and Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Edgar Berlanga.
Puello (24-0, 10 KOs) secured the WBC title with a split decision win against Sandor Martin in March. Former world champion Matias (22-2, 22 KOs) has recorded two stoppage victories since his loss to Liam Paro last June.
The fighter who emerges victorious from the Puello-Matias clash is expected to be ordered to defend the title against Smith, who established himself as the WBC`s top contender at 140lbs after his impressive win over Jose Zepeda last year.
Consequently, while a potential fight with Azim appears to be postponed, it seems Smith will likely not compete again before challenging for a world title, according to Hearn.
Meanwhile, the 23-year-old Azim has not yet announced his next fight. His previous performance against Sergey Lipinets is considered by many to be his best to date.
Hearn explained his perspective: Matchroom is interested in the Azim fight and has been for years. He noted that now, when Azim`s team is seeking an opponent, they are expressing willingness to fight Smith. However, Smith is the mandatory challenger for the Puello-Matias winner. Hearn believes Smith`s management questions the logic of taking another fight like Azim when a world title shot is next. While acknowledging Smith-Azim as a significant bout that isn`t ruled out entirely, Hearn stressed that it is “very likely” they will wait for the outcome of the Puello-Matias championship fight.
